Life of a Champion
by The Young Detective
Summary: A master trainer, the Champion of Kanto, recalls his exciting and dangerous journey through Kanto that took him far above ordinary humans and made him a living Legend.


**This story is a mix ****of animé and a hack game known as Pokémon Fire Red Omega. It has some unusual starters and I am adapting it into this story with a small twist. ****This is a retelling of Ash's Pokémon journey if he was selected to receive a special starter. How would the things play out if he was actually a smart trainer? Will Ash reach his goal? Well, find out for yourself.**

* * *

I am sitting in my special cabin watching the young trainers battle it out. Little do they know that someone who had conquered their ultimate goal was watching them so intently. The fierce battle and the involvement of the two youngsters reminds me of my own journey that took me to where I am and what I have become now- The leader of Elite Four and Champion of Kanto. Some people even call me a Pokémon Master!

Whether I am worthy of such a title is something that I cannot comment on. But it is certain that I am easily the strongest trainer alive today. I am idolized and looked upon not just by the people of Kanto, but also other known regions, for I am one of the reasons why the world is still existing.

How interesting it is to go long back in the past and remember the fond memories- memories of when I, Ash Ketchum, started off my journey at Pallet Town.

XxX

Ash stared at the three Pokeballs that held Pokémon to be given out by Professor Samuel Oak. His eyes betrayed the excitement that coursed through his body. He had been selected as one of the three special kids who would receive a special starter instead of choosing from the standard Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. Passing that test was not easy but he, along with Serena and his rival Gary, had been selected.

Along with the mandatory test conducted to ensure that a person is ready to be a trainer, Prof. Oak held a competitive exam to sort three skilled trainers whom he would bestow rare Pokémon bred specifically for competitive battling. But it was rare that any candidate passed the exam. Oak remembered how Bruno was the last student to have cleared the extremely tough test before the three youngsters that stood before him.

Oak smiled as he inserted his hands into the pockets of his lab coat and started speaking, "As you three already know, you will receive the special Pokémon I have bred for this moment. You can be proud that you have cleared an exam which was cleared many years ago by candidates who now are Master trainers. Now you can choose your Pokémon. First up is Gary." The old man smiled at his grandson who smirked back.

The brown haired teen who stood beside Ash sneered at him and walked up to the table that held the Pokeballs. He gazed at the stickers on the red and white spheres with a smirk. Ash and Serena could see the Fire, Ice and Electric symbols over the balls. They sighed in relif when Gary picked the ball with electric symbol. He didn't hesitate a moment and called out his starter- an Elekid.

The Pokémon stared at Gary and puffed its chest arrogantly as sparks flew from its body. At this, Gary gave a nod of approval and recalled the Electric type. Ash noted that Gary seemed to have gotten a Pokémon that had his same attitude. Prof. Oak signalled for Gary to move out immediately.

Ash rolled his eyes when Gary reached in front of him and glared at his face. The brown haired teen snorted, "As I had decided, I have my Elekid now. I shall wait outside to have our first battle. Get ready to have your ass kicked Ashy-boy."

With that, Gary left the room. Ash smiled lightly knowing that his old friend had already decided on which starter to pick. That made sure that he was prepared and it warned Ash that he should watch out for Gary. Prof. Oak's grandson and Ash had been fast friends in their childhood but as years went, Gary seemed to have grown a head and tried to put down Ash in every possible way. Ash had never paid it much attention as he knew it was a matter of time before their rivalry would end.

Ash turned to look at Serena picking up the Pokeball with the Ice symbol. He had known it for some time that the blonde wanted the part Psychic type Pokémon. She had a fascination for Psychic type Pokémon. She had received a Fennekin, an extremely rare Pokémon from the faraway Kalos region as a gift from a relative. Since that day, she had grown a liking for psychics. Fennekin eventually would evolve into a part Psychic type Pokémon.

Oak and Ash stared as Serena and her new Smoochum hugged each other happily while Smoochum also seemed to breath out haze and ice. Serena recalled her Pokémon before looking at Ash, "Ash, I know that you will win easily in a battle against me. But I shall wait to see what you do against Gary." She smiled kindly at her friend and moved out. She had always known that Ash was special. She saw him not just as a friend, but as someone who would go down in history as a legend. She was that confident of Ash's skills.

Ash ran his fingers through his uneven, jet black hairs and smiled as he walked up to the last Pokeball that was on the table. He gazed at the Fire symbol and could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. With a deep breath, Ash picked the sphere and released it's contents.

As the bright light from the release faded, Ash saw his starter. Flames ran over the small Pokémon's body. Its claws were sharpened wickedly and its bill like face had a grotesque sneer as he regarded Ash. On seeing just an excited smile and no hint of awe or fear, the Magby growled and gave a slight bow of his head. Ash knew that he had won the Fire type's respect already.

Ash opened the Pokédex he had received from Prof. Oak earlier. It was a handheld device that served as an encyclopedia, trainer card and identification for trainers. He pointed the red device towards Magby and pressed a button which started scanning the Pokémon. After a few seconds, it started speaking in a fluid male voice.

_Magby. The __Live Coal Pokémon and the pre-evolution of Magmar. Breathing fire, this Pokémon loves to live in volcanoes. Magby's flames and its lava-like blood can be observed to determine its health._

_Gender:- Male  
_

_Ability:- Flame Body  
_

_Moves:- Smog, Smokescreen, Ember, Feint Attack, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch.  
_

_Note:- Flare Blitz and Mach Punch are inherited from a parent. Magby is young and it is advised to avoid using Flare Blitz before evolution._

Ash whistled lightly on hearing the moves, "Flare Blitz? You really are a very strong Pokémon. Do you feel you are ready to go on a journey with me? We will be training and battling against many powerful opponents."

Magby gave a vigorous nod at the question and his eyes showed glee as he heard about battling. The Fire type scraped his claws making sparks fly lightly making Ash chuckle. He could only imagine what Gary was about to go through.

XxX

Ash and Gary stood at the trainer boxes drawn near the battlefield. They were at a battlefield used by Prof. Oak for battles. Gary and Ash stared at each other as Oak explained the rules of the battle. Just as the cue to begin was given, Gary smirked, "Alright. Everyone can see how the great Gary Oak beats Ashy-boy into oblivion."

Ash looked at the small crowd that had assembled to watch Pallet Town's most talented kids leave for a journey. He grinned as Gary ordered a Quick Attack. Magby could never hope to match Elekid's speed but he could always improvise, "Mach Punch. Meet it head on"

Elekid raced towards Magby intending to dislodge the opponent only for the Fire type to swing a glowing fist that matched Elekid's attack. The trainers waited to see the result which was a stalemate. Seeing that it was no use, Ash yelled, "Smog."

Gary was alarmed by the use of Mach Punch. He could now see that Magby was not a pushover. Ash had now ordered for Smog which would most certainly poison and cause breathing problems to Elekid. He had a counter ready though, "Thunder Shock. Then use Ice Punch."

Magby spat a smoky wave of venom that gave off a horrendous smell making everyone grimace. The purple smoke moved towards Elekid and met with a bolt of electricity. The sparks, reacting with the poison, exploded violently hurting both the combatants.

"Elekid, get away. Try to gain distance and use Ice Punch again." Gary yelled desperately making Ash smirk. The current situation was something his Pokémon would work best in. The flames would give him a camouflage and he would be able to react better due to the heat improving his reflexes.

"Feint Attack. Then use Ember. If he gets close, use Mach Punch" Ash whispered, loud enough for only Magby to hear. The Fire type gave a savage look and disappeared into the flames and smoke resulting from the explosion. Elekid looked straight to spot its opponent but suddenly cried as a sharp pain erupted on his back. Just as the Electric type turned, a barrage of flames hit its face making it stumble back.

Gritting its teeth, Elekid tried to clip Magby with a fist covered in Ice. Magby flared up making the attack useless against his body and then swung his fist to the opponent's face. Elekid flew back and fell face first on the ground. Its body was burned from the explosion and the Ember used by Magby. The vicious Mach Punch had caused Elekid even more pain.

Before Ash or Magby could act, Gary yelled, "I forfeit"

Ash's eyes widened at this but then he winced on seeing Elekid's condition. While it was still conscious, it could certainly not battle. It could not match Magby's power. In this weakened state, it won't be as fast as it was at first, so taking advanctage of speed was out of the question. The burns would simply irritate and finally cause Elekid to lose.

Ash respected Gary's decision to forfeit and gave a nod to his rival who sighed. The young Oak glared at Ash, "You just got lucky Ashy-boy. This is just the first battle. Next time it will be different. Now I need to move. Gramps, Ash, smell ya later."

With those final words, Gary pushed through the crowd and walked towards his house which was just a few blocks away. Ash smiled and congratulated Magby on his first victory making the Fire type puff his chest in pride and spit a small flame into the air.

Serena walked towards Ash and Magby before smiling at her friend, "That was quite the use of Magby's ability to cloak himself in fire. And Magby is quite strong too. Elekid was no match. You showed Gary that he should seriously stop underestimating you."

Ash and Magby both rubbed behind their head, embarrassed by the praise. Ash chuckled, "Well that's settled after all. Now what is your plan?"

"Well I plan to go through the Gyms like you do. But first I would like to visit Saffron City Gym. I want to learn more about Psychic type Pokémon. Maybe I can get help from the Gym." Serena explained as her eyes gained a dreamy look.

Ash chuckled, "Well I am going home now. Need to move out early on. Let us hope to see each other soon"

XxX

"Your fascination for Fire types didn't go away huh Ashy?" Delia Ketchum smiled at her son as she gazed at the small Fire type who seemed to be judging her. Delia giggled at Magby's curious looks and before Ash could issue a warning, gave a light pat on the baby Pokémon's head.

Ash looked alarmed at this but then realized that his mother had not hurt herself. How, he was not sure. Magby was living Fire after all. Seeing his curious looks, Delia smiled, "Don't you underestimate me Ash. I used to study under Prof. Oak for some time. Magby don't have their bodies developed fully at young age and their head does not have the heat of their bodies. But we need to be gentle as Magby's head is sensitive just like a human baby's."

Ash smiled at his mother, amazed at how well she knew about Pokémon and started rubbing Magby's head. This earned a grunt of contentment from the small Pokémon.

What Delia said was true. She used to serve as an apprentice at Prof. Oak's lab before having Ash. She later stopped her studies and started running the family restaurant at Pallet Town. Her cookies were majorly bought by Viridian City center. Their canteen needed large amounts of cookies. Delia's other major customer was Prof. Oak himself. Being not so good at cooking, the researcher and all his employees relied on Delia's restaurant.

"So all set to leave?" Delia smiled as a few tears formed in her eyes. Ash wiped away her tears and smiled back at her.

"Yeah. And don't worry about me. I shall call you whenever I reach a town or a city. I shall return soon." Ash assured his mother.

Delia looked at Magby, "Take care of my little Ashy ok Magby?" The Fire type snickered at his trainer and gave a resolute nod to Delia.

As Ash picked up his backpack and moved out, Delia giggled and called out, "Don't forget to change your..." Before she could finish, Ash had walked out with Magby.

XxX

Ash walked through the woods looking around the trees that inhabited the area. He had been battling wild Pokémon for some time and Magby had proved himself to be very adept at battling. His battle style was controlled and he didn't snap like Ash had heard about the species to do. Ash wondered whether it was a hereditary trait. He had learnt from the Pokédex that one of Magby's parent may have been an Infernape. Fighting type Pokémon had strict control over their powers and generally tended to be calm. Probably that trait had been passed onto Magby.

This particular area between Pallet Town and Viridian City was abode to many small Pokémon ideal for starting trainers. Rattata, Pidgey, Caterpie and Weedle were some of the common Pokémon but Ash was looking for something else. He knew of a few other species that lived in the area and he was looking for a particularly dangerous foe. He would be content on getting at least a Hoothoot or Natu if not the rare Pichu or Ralts that were seen occasionally in the area. He had a liking for Pokémon who could abuse their natural abilities that came with their types.

Soon, he came face to face with one of the kind of Pokémon he was looking for. It was a bird whose body was pitch black. Its beak and sharp talons were yellow in color. While the average species stood at a little above a feet, this particular specimen was more than double the size. It would probably be the rarest of its species aside from the odd alternately colored ones.

Ash noted that it was already at the size its evolution, a Honchkrow, would be. It must have been the result of a cross breed between a Murkrow or Honchkrow with a local Pidgeot. There was no other way such a huge Murkrow would be present at such a place.

As Ash stared at the large bird, it screeched its challenge and flew down to face Ash and Magby. Magby, with the same enthusiasm that he had shown to battle Elekid, gave a light roar of his own and flared up, ready to win.

XxX

Ash was tending to the injuries sustained by Magby as he sat at the entrance of a cave he had discovered. Magby and its evolutionary line could heal themselves by immersing in lava. It could have been done easily had this been the case of a Magmar or Magmortar. Magby didn't have the power to create a lava pit just yet.

The Murkrow, true to its size and its species' ferocity, had been ruthless in the battle. While it was defeated at the end, Magby was not unscathed either. He had many scars running across his body and Ash was spraying Potions on the wounds. The battle had shown more about Magby to Ash. The Fire type had been extremely patient and calm in dealing with Murkrow who battled savagely. Magby made sure to not hurt Murkrow too much.

Murkrow had accepted that it had been captured and that it would work with Ash only when the youngster mentioned getting strong. Ash instantly knew what Murkrow wanted out of their relation. He finished administering the medicines and scanned Murkrow with his Pokédex.

_Murkrow. The __Darkness Pokémon. It flies silently at night and uses the darkness as a camouflage. It is a great prankster and also a vicious battler. It will stand up against even the most ferocious foes._

_Gender:- Male  
_

_Ability:- Insomnia  
_

_Moves:- Peck, Astonish, Haze, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Roost.  
_

_Note:- Brave Bird and Roost are inherited from parents.  
_

Ash smirked at the information. Murkrow had shown every trait that the Pokédex described it would. It seemed he had captured another great Pokémon, albeit a bit ruthless.

Just as Ash started talking again, a deafening roar was heard and the earth exploded revealing a massive serpentine Pokémon made of rocks. It roared and lunged at Ash.

* * *

**How ****was it guys? Hope you all like it. I have been writing this for some time and I shall update soon. Hope to get reviews and suggestions. Till the next chapter, Good bye.**


End file.
